Mom who allegedly poisoned daughter left suicide notes

Published: Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 7:34 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 7:34 p.m.

A depressed New Hanover County mother left several suicide notes and apparently fed her daughter and cat a poison-tainted smoothie in a failed attempt at murder-suicide in September, according to search warrants released Thursday in the case.

Jeannie Marvel, 49, is charged with attempted murder and animal cruelty in the Sept. 9 incident at her home on Scratch Court. She was arrested Nov. 10 after spending two months in the hospital.

New Hanover County Sheriff Detective J.D. Varella said a friend found Marvel unconscious and face down on the kitchen floor of her home with her 9-year-old daughter and the family cat nearby in distress, according to an affidavit in the Sept. 20 search warrant. The friend had tried for five hours to contact Marvel before finally going to her house, Varella said in the affidavit,

Deputies also reported that while Marvel was unresponsive on the floor, her daughter was conscious and alert, but appeared to be under the influence of an impairing substance with slurred speech and an unsteady gait. The cat, Varella explained, was found curled in the fetal position.

On the kitchen counter were several medication bottles and a bottle of "some type of rat or rodent poison," Varella said, and nearby were three handwritten notes, one of which "stated something to the effect of ‘Sorry I made the choice I had to make,' ‘give away my clothes.'"

The notes indicated Marvel was depressed, said Varella, "nothing seemed to be working and how she had to take her child and cat because no one else could take care of them."

It was also noted in the warrant that the child told a paramedic on the way to the hospital, that "she was supposed to have pizza for dinner but her mom (Jeannie Marvel) gave her a slushy instead and this slushy consisted of Pepsi soda, something orange like a snow cone syrup and white powder."

As a result of the warrant, police seized a number of items from the Marvel home including pill bottles, clothing and two cell phones.

In a second affidavit filed Oct. 11 requesting access to the data in the cell phones, Detective W.I. Campbell said the contents of the phone could collaborate calls or messages to the friend who found Marvel, "as well as information that would be consistent with the four handwritten notes left by the suspect."

"The content of the handwritten notes that were seized in the original search warrant indicates the suspect's intent to take her own life, her 9-year-old daughter's life and the life of the family cat," Campbell said.

Marvel, her daughter and the cat have all recovered. Marvel is being held in New Hanover County jail on $500,000 bail.

<p>A depressed New Hanover County mother left several suicide notes and apparently fed her daughter and cat a poison-tainted smoothie in a failed attempt at murder-suicide in September, according to search warrants released Thursday in the case. </p><p>Jeannie Marvel, 49, is charged with attempted murder and animal cruelty in the Sept. 9 incident at her home on Scratch Court. She was arrested Nov. 10 after spending two months in the hospital. </p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9932"><b>New Hanover County Sheriff</b></a> Detective J.D. Varella said a friend found Marvel unconscious and face down on the kitchen floor of her home with her 9-year-old daughter and the family cat nearby in distress, according to an affidavit in the Sept. 20 search warrant. The friend had tried for five hours to contact Marvel before finally going to her house, Varella said in the affidavit, </p><p>Deputies also reported that while Marvel was unresponsive on the floor, her daughter was conscious and alert, but appeared to be under the influence of an impairing substance with slurred speech and an unsteady gait. The cat, Varella explained, was found curled in the fetal position. </p><p>On the kitchen counter were several medication bottles and a bottle of "some type of rat or rodent poison," Varella said, and nearby were three handwritten notes, one of which "stated something to the effect of 'Sorry I made the choice I had to make,' 'give away my clothes.'"</p><p>The notes indicated Marvel was depressed, said Varella, "nothing seemed to be working and how she had to take her child and cat because no one else could take care of them."</p><p>It was also noted in the warrant that the child told a paramedic on the way to the hospital, that "she was supposed to have pizza for dinner but her mom (Jeannie Marvel) gave her a slushy instead and this slushy consisted of Pepsi soda, something orange like a snow cone syrup and white powder."</p><p>As a result of the warrant, police seized a number of items from the Marvel home including pill bottles, clothing and two cell phones. </p><p>In a second affidavit filed Oct. 11 requesting access to the data in the cell phones, Detective W.I. Campbell said the contents of the phone could collaborate calls or messages to the friend who found Marvel, "as well as information that would be consistent with the four handwritten notes left by the suspect."</p><p>"The content of the handwritten notes that were seized in the original search warrant indicates the suspect's intent to take her own life, her 9-year-old daughter's life and the life of the family cat," Campbell said.</p><p>Marvel, her daughter and the cat have all recovered. Marvel is being held in New Hanover County jail on $500,000 bail. </p><p>F.T. Norton: 343-2070</p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @FTNorton</p>